Sports Communication Graduate Goes Pro

01/22/2014 2:43 PM

By Kelly O’Brien’15

The NBA has showcased the talents of Bradley Braves such as Chet Walker ’62, Hersey Hawkins ’88 and Anthony Parker ‘97.  Carrying on this tradition is Mathew DeFreitas ’13.  

Though he has not recorded a single point for the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, the former sports communication student scored an internship in the team’s marketing department.

DeFreitas considers working in social media marketing and advertising for a professional sports organization an honor.

“It feels amazing working for the Grizzlies and being a part of the NBA,” he said.  “I get to work with such great people and learn from the best in the business, and FedExForum is an incredible place to work. I find myself some days at lunch just going and sitting in the arena, taking in the place I have the privilege of working at.” 

The Grizzlies provide him with a full-court press of diverse tasks, including processing invoices from advertisers, editing photos from games and team events for online use and entering marketing data to reveal sales trends. 

DeFreitas is not a rookie in the professional sports world.  He interned in New York for NBC during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, logging footage of various events, including the men’s basketball gold-medal match. 

He credits Bradley for helping him land both his Olympic and NBA opportunities.

“If I was not a part of the class of NBC 2012 Summer Olympic interns, I would still be back in Peoria interning,” he said.  “And so I thank Bradley for the help in preparing for NBC and helping build my résumé.”

Now that he has claimed a spot at the pinnacle of the professional basketball world in the NBA, he wants to remain there.

“I hope to stay involved with the Grizzlies for the foreseeable future,” he said.  “This is where we [sports communication students] all want to be, and I’m here.”